Humidifier.



R. G. HERREN.

HUMIDIFIER." APPLIGATIOK rum) APB.27,1911.

Patented Janr2, 1912.

WITNESSES INVENTOR zzoaerz cram-rm mom/Em is a full, clear, and exact description.

This generator may be supported by any KIN ROBERT C. HEREEN,

Specification at 1 acres heaters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, 1 .2 912.

Application filed April 27, will. Serial No. 623,618.

Be it known that I, ROBERT C. Hannah, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Kenton, in the county of Hardin and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Humidifier, of which the following 'My invention relates generally to humidifiers and more particularly it involves an apparatus which is especially adapted for use with hot air furnaces.

It is desirable that the humidity present in the'at-mosp'here of a room be of a certain amount but the hot air heating systems supplying heated air which is lacking in the proper' amount of humidity and the principal object of my invention is to provide means for insuring moisture in the heated air supplied by such a furnace, the said means being provided with devices actuated by the furnace whereby the operation of the humidifying means is insured by the heated walls of the furnace.

Reference is to be had to. the accompany- 'ing drawings forming a part of this specification, in which like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the views, and in which- Figure 1 is a side view, partly in section, showing my apparatus attached to one form of a hot air furnace; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View of the generator element of the apparatus; Fig. 3 is a detail view, partly in section, of the valve controlling the water supplied to the generator.

Any suitable hot air furnace having a fire box :2 with the heating chamber 3 has its top wall l suitably recessed to pass a pipe 5 and an expansion rod 6 therethrough. The pipe 5 extends downwardly through the heating chamber 3 and terminates within the fire box 2.

A generator 7, preferably of castiron, and also of cylindrical construction, has its upper smaller end provided with interior threads for engagement with the lower end of a steam pipe 8 which terminates in the interior of this generator Tand adjacent the top thereof. As shown particularly in Fig. 1, the generator 7 is supported by the top wall 9 of the fire box 2, the generator extending downwardly into the fire box and the pipe 5 extending into the generator.

suitable means, as by a lock nut 10, adjacent one side of the wall 9, the neck portion of however, being controlled by the generator being held closely against the inside of this wall. Fig. 2 shows in detail the construction of the generator and the pipe leading therein; it is to be noted that while the pipe 5 extends into the generator it is not secured thereto, an open annular space 11 being provided between the in terior of the steam pipe 8 and the exterior of the pipe 5 whereby an outlet from the interior of the gei'ierator provided, the outlet communicating with the heating chamber 3.

A suitable tank 12 which may be of metal or any other suitable form of construction has an overflow pipe 13 leading therefrom, the water being supplied to the tank through the pipe 14, the level of the water therein being maintained by means of a ball valve 15 controlled by a float .16. The pipe 5 com municates with tin tank 12 through a water gage l? and a valve 18 leading into the pipe 19 which is fixed to the bottom of the tank.

Suitably supported on the bottom of the tank 12, in brackets 20, is the lever 21 having its shorter end connected, at 22, to the upper end of the expansion rod 6, the lower end of this rod resting on the top wall 9 of the fire box 2. The longer arm of this lever 21 is connected with another lever at one end thereof through a link 24;, the other end of this lever 23 being supported in the recess of a support 25-carried by the bottom of the tank 12; the end of this lever 28 is movable up and down in the recess in the support 25, the movement, suitable helical spring 26 surrounding the support and in engagement with the lever. At an intermediate point of this lever a spindle 2i-eof the valve l8 is attached, the purpose of the connection being that as the opposite ends of this lever move up and down the spindle 27 will be either opened or closed, thereby regulating the supply of water from the tank 12 to the pipe 5.

In the operation of my device the heating S ll certain amount of water, preferably a small amount, is allowed to enter the pipe 5 through the gage glass 17 and flo w into the generator 7. The generator 7 being w1th1n the fire box 2 of the furnace is at a high temperature whereby the Water entering therein through the pipe 5 is immediately changed into steam, which steam issues and will later pass out through the open space 11 through the pipe 5 and the steam pipe -8 and mix with the heated air contained in the heating chamber 3 and which is conducted by the hot air pipes to the different rooms.

From the above description of the construction and operation of my humidifier it will be seen that I have provided an apparatus which is actuated by the heating of the fire box of the furnace in order to properly saturate the heated air supplied to different rooms by this same furnace.

Of course it is obvious that the water tank with the ball valve and the float therein can be omitted and the water supply connected directly to the pipe 19 carried by this tank 12 wit'lrout-avqi ding:the inventive idea involved. It is also obviousf that the size of-the parts and their relation too'ne another fn'aybe varied in order to adapt the combination of a suitable hot air furnace,

a generator contained within the fire box of the said furnace, a plpe connecting the said generator with a suitable source of water supply, there being a valve in the said pipe, the interior of the generator communicating with the heating chamber of the said ,furnace, an expansion rod resting on one wall of the said fire box, together with means in engagement with the end of the said expansion rod and the said valve whereby expansion of the said rod by the heat of the said fire box will open the said valve whereby a suitable amount of water may be supplied to the said generator where it is vaporized, the said vapor then passing said pipe, the interior of the said generator communicating with the said heating chamber of the furnace, an expansion rod in contact with the wall of the said fire box, to-

chamber of a suitableJfurnace, a generator suitably supported within the said fire box, the generator communicating with the said heating chamber, a pipe communicating from the interior of the said generator to a suitable source of water supply, a valve in the said pipe, an expansion rod in contact with one of the walls of the said fire box, a lever and supporting means therefor, one end of the said lever being in engagement with one end of the said expansion rod, a lever in engagement with the spindle of the said valve, a link engaging adjacent ends of the said levers whereby as the expansion rod lengthens from the action of the heat of the said fire box it will actuate the 'sa-icLlevers to operate the said valve, whereby a suitable amount of water may be supplied o the said generator which is therein vaporized, the said vapor mixing with the air contained in the said heating chamber, there being resilient means in engagement with one end of the lever connected to the spindle of the said valve whereby'movement of the .said lever is permitted.

4. In a device of 'the class described, the combination of the fire box and heating chamber of a suitable furnace, a generator suitably supported within the said fire box, a pipe leading from a suitable source of water supply and terminating within. the said generator, the interior of the said generator communicating with the said heating chamber, an expansion rod resting on oneof the walls of the said fire box, a valve contained in the afore-mentioned pipe, a lever having its intermediate portion in engagement with the spindle of the said valve, another lever having its shorter arm in pivotal engagement with one end of the said expansion rod, the other end of the said lever being in engagement with one end of the first lever through the medium of a link, the other end of the said first lever-being suitably supported, a spring carried by the said support and in engagement with the said end. of the lever whereby movement of the expansion rod moves the said levers and opens the said valve, thereby permitting a desired amount of water to enter thesaid generator. r

5. In a devitie of the class described, the combination of a suitable hat air furnace, a

- the lnterior of the generator communicating With the-heating chamber of the said furnace, a rod in operative relation with the said fire box whereby the rise 0t temperature in the said box-Will cause the said rod l0to expand, together with means engaging the expansion rod and the valve whereby expansion of the rod Will operate the said Valve, thereby permitting a suitable amount or Water to be supplied to the" generator Where it is vaporized, the vap rpassing out- 15 Wardly into the heating chamber of the furnace.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ROBERT C. HERREN.

Witnesses \V. B. Dmoisss, J. It. SriLLmos. 

